The veteran midfielder looks to trade the Bundesliga for a final American chapter as his Leverkusen tenure fades, trading German stability for a fresh challenge across the Atlantic.
Jonas Hofmann knows his time at Bayer Leverkusen is coming to an end. He just does not believe his career should end with it.
The 34-year-old has opened the door to a move abroad when his Leverkusen contract expires next summer, with Major League Soccer emerging as one possible destination as Hofmann looks for what could be the final adventure of his career.
"It will definitely continue. I can reveal that much," Hofmann told Kicker.
That is perhaps the clearest he has been about what comes next.
Hofmann is no longer an important part of Leverkusen's first team and has accepted that reality. He has found himself among the reserves under Carles Martínez, with competition for attacking places leaving very little room for the former German international.
It is a situation that has been developing for months.
We reported during the summer that Hofmann was among the players Die Werkself were prepared to move on from as Martínez reshaped the squad. His role in the new system was expected to be limited, despite having another year remaining on his contract.
Then came Saudi Arabia.
Al Shabab made Hofmann a concrete offer in August, providing him with an opportunity to leave Leverkusen before the transfer deadline. At the time, Bayer were prepared to sanction the move, while Hofmann had already rejected other possibilities earlier in the window.
The transfer never happened.
Speaking to Kicker, Hofmann said the decision had less to do with his personal circumstances than might have been assumed. The different elements of the deal simply never came together.
Staying did not change his place in the hierarchy.
Hofmann admitted the competition at Leverkusen is fierce but sounded considerably more accepting of the situation than a player desperately trying to force his way back into the starting XI. He knows where he stands. What he rejects is the suggestion that reduced minutes have reduced his ambition.
He still wants another two or three years.
And this time, Germany may not be where he looks for them.
Hofmann said that moving abroad appeals to him precisely because of where he is in his career. After spending his entire senior career in Germany with Borussia Dortmund, Mainz, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Leverkusen, he wants to experience something different.
That could mean crossing the Atlantic.
MLS is firmly within the possibilities Hofmann is considering. At 34, he joked that he does not know how many German clubs would still be interested, but there was something more serious behind it. He wants to play, but he also wants to enjoy the final years of his career and experience somewhere new.
For now, he remains a Leverkusen player.
Hofmann even requested to feature in Friday's 6-0 friendly victory over Fortuna Köln despite becoming a father for the second time only two days earlier. He played around half an hour and assisted Patrik Schick from a corner for the final goal.
It was a small reminder that Hofmann has not mentally checked out simply because his role has disappeared.
His first season at Leverkusen ended with a Bundesliga and DFB Pokal double and an unbeaten domestic campaign. He started 26 league games that year, scoring five times and providing seven assists. Since then, his influence has gradually faded.
The ending now appears increasingly clear.
Hofmann will keep training and waiting for whatever opportunities remain during his final months at the BayArena. Then, after more than 400 senior appearances in German football, somewhere completely different could be waiting.
Saudi Arabia nearly became that place this summer.
Next time, Hofmann may look across the Atlantic instead.
From here the stage only gets bigger.
